Turning the tide on hushed hybrid: How to win over workplace skeptics

You’ve probably heard of coffee badging, but there’s another trend influencing workplace attendance: “hushed hybrid.” Not familiar with it yet? In this post, we’ll explain what this trend is and why it could spell trouble for your organization’s return-to-office plans. We’ll also explore strategies for addressing hushed hybrid challenges so you can curb its negative impact and increase onsite presence.

What is “hushed hybrid”?

The hushed hybrid trend refers to a workplace practice where managers quietly adjust or bypass formal return-to-office policies to better align with their team’s preferences. This often happens when managers believe that allowing more remote work can boost productivity and employee satisfaction. As a result, some employees may come into work less than officially required, causing discrepancies in-office presence and making it difficult for companies to manage overall attendance effectively.

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Should companies be concerned about the “hushed hybrid” trend?

In short, yes. If it’s not addressed, this trend can lead to bigger issues for organizations.

• Reduced collaboration. It can lead to less team collaboration, which in turn affects innovation and problem-solving capabilities.
• Inefficient resource utilization. Office spaces and technology investments may be underused or misallocated.
• Decreased employee engagement. Employees may feel isolated or disconnected, leading to lower engagement and productivity.
• Employee resentment. Some folks feel they’re missing out on benefits that have been offered to others, which can decrease company morale.
• Negative bottom line impact. Poor internal communication and collaboration could result in increased costs, missed deadlines, and eroded brand reputation.
• Missed business opportunities. Coordination and decision-making issues can lead to slower responses and missed opportunities.
• Compliance risks. Employees coming and going, or working remotely without oversight, can expose companies to costly data security and compliance risks.

4 strategies for tackling the “hushed hybrid” trend

With the right strategies, you can cut down on managers enabling hushed hybrid schedules and encourage more folks into the workplace. Below, we’ll go over four ways to achieve this.

1. Dig into your workplace data to make improvements to your space

Instead of punishing employees for not coming into the office, focus on creating an environment that makes them want to be there. The hushed hybrid trend is really a workplace design and culture problem, and data can provide the insights needed to solve it. Start by tracking the right metrics.

Analyze occupancy data to see which departments have more no-shows or lower attendance, and identify which teams are more aligned with onsite work. If you have multiple locations, viewing this data across the organization will reveal how attendance varies at each site. Next, look at space utilization data to understand how employees use different areas onsite, such as meeting rooms, desks, or common spaces. This will help you determine if your layout and resources are being used effectively and if you need to make adjustments to better support your employees’ needs.

2. Establish management feedback loops for continuous improvement

Getting feedback from managers is crucial to making the workplace a space employees want to be. Speak with managers of teams with both high and low attendance to figure out what drives higher attendance and why teams with lower attendance don’t come in as much. For example, you might learn that factors such as commute length, parking availability, or even better snacks can play a role. 

Encourage managers to share what their teams need to enhance their experience—whether that’s more meeting rooms, better collaboration spaces, or something else. Keep the feedback flowing with regular surveys, feedback sessions, and one-on-one meetings. Provide easy ways for folks to report onsite issues as they arise—such as implementing a ticketing feature within your workplace platform—and ask managers to encourage their teams to use them. 

In order to motivate employees to work onsite, you may need to make updates to your layout design. To balance employee requests and the realities of managing a workplace budget, loop in employees by offering choices. For example, employees can vote on having an extra catered lunch on an onsite day, better desk amenities (e.g., dual monitors or privacy screens), or more parking spaces.

“It’s top-down, but it's also the environment you create. You have to have managers encouraging [attendance] and create an environment that encourages it.” – Ronda Stahl, Director of Facilities and Real Estate at GLG

3. Revisit your hybrid work policy and make enhancements to promote engagement 

Hybrid work policies should be dynamic and support collaboration and connection between employees. Revisit your policy to see if it’s optimized for these goals. Below are some questions you might ask. 

• Are the teams that work closely required to be onsite together on the same days?
• Does your policy encourage folks to be onsite during key collaboration times or meetings?
• Are there clear guidelines for how often team members should be in the office versus working remotely?
• Does the policy address the needs of employees who prefer to work in the office for better focus or access to resources?
• Are there mechanisms in place to regularly review and adjust the policy based on employee feedback and changing team dynamics?

Make sure your employees have access to user-friendly workplace tech, such as interactive maps and hybrid scheduling tools, to help them easily find the people and spaces they need while onsite.

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4. Connect with workplace peers to get fresh perspectives

Joining an external workplace group can be a great way to connect with other leaders facing similar challenges with the hushed hybrid trend. These groups can provide valuable insights into common issues and effective strategies for overcoming them. 

You can also connect with folks at workplace events, such as Workspaces, IFMA World Workplace, and WORKTECH. Attendees are like-minded in addressing the workplace challenges they face, and simply chatting with them can lead to creative solutions you might not have thought of on your own.

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Hushed hybrid isn’t just another flexible work trend—it’s a sign that your workplace culture and design might need an upgrade. Understanding the impact it has on your organization is the first step to making adjustments to your policies and workspace that foster better engagement and teamwork. 

From there, you can make targeted changes to enhance collaboration, use resources more efficiently, and create a work environment that draws folks onsite. For more tips on how to do this, check out our ebook on how to create a collaborative and productive workplace.